Book Review: ABAP Basics

Posted on November 9, 2011 by booksonsap

The Content

Gunther Farber and Julia Kirchner have written seven chapters that include information regarding facets of ABAP such as procedural language elements and managing database tables. They define and explain all of the most important ABAP commands and terminology. This is a revised second edition that has been fully updated for ABAP version 7.0.

The Audience

This book is aimed at software developers and programmers who would like to write their own ABAP applications. The teaching style of the authors is arguably better suited to those people who are completely unfamiliar with the workings of ABAP. In fact, the book may not be detailed enough for more experienced programmers.

The Review

For any software developers who are trying to understand ABAP for the first time this book is ideal. It covers a wide array of typical ABAP tasks, and includes useful screen images to reiterate important points in the teaching. The authors also use real life scenarios as examples of the lessons they are providing. These features make the book easy to understand, and with the information it provides it is undoubtedly an important ABAP resource.

We have reviewed other highly recommended books on the site

SAP ABAP Handbook

Next Generation ABAP Development

In another part of this blog we give an overview on SAP ABAP.

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Book Review: SAP ABAP Handbook

Posted on November 9, 2011 by booksonsap

The Content

The SAP ABAP Handbook is a massive book at almost one thousand pages. It is designed to be the definitive guide to ABAP. Error messages, SAPscript, internal tables, modularization techniques, and programming in the ABAP Editor are just a few examples of the many topics covered in this book. It also includes a full glossary of terms to allow better understanding of the content.

The Audience

This book has essentially been written for any programmer or SAP user. Its comprehensive nature means that a varied group of readers will be able to find information in it that is particularly useful to them. The authors begin with very basic teachings before moving on to more advanced concepts, meaning that the book is suitable for beginners to programming and ABAP as well as experienced users.

The Review

The sheer size of this book makes it an extremely useful resource for programmers. The authors cover every aspect of ABAP in enough detail to provide the reader with a full understanding. It is due to the quality of the writing that the size of the book is not daunting. Each topic is clearly explained and it is easy to progress from the basic lessons at the beginning of the book to the more advanced examples towards the end.

We have reviewed other highly recommended books on the site

ABAP Basics

Next Generation ABAP Development

In another part of this blog we give an overview on SAP ABAP.

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Book Review: Next Generation ABAP Development

Posted on November 9, 2011 by booksonsap

The Content

Rich Heilman and Thomas Jung create an interesting teaching scenario in this book whereby it is imagined that a university has just begun using SAP NetWeaver 7.0. The authors use this scenario to explain the complete development process in detail from design to testing. Seventeen chapters cover topics such as master data management, business server pages, and the SAP NetWeaver portal.

The Audience: Advanced ABAP developers

This book is not intended to be a guide for people looking to learn basic ABAP skills. The authors take the alternative approach of focusing their attention on the modern developments within ABAP. The way that the book is written is designed to appeal to more experienced software developers in particular.

The Review

The deliberate structure of this book means that it is one of the very few textbooks that can be read from cover to cover. There is a very clear progression through the sections, with the imagined university scenario driving the learning from one topic to the next. As a result this book is not only informative, but is also enjoyable to read.

We have reviewed other highly recommended ABAP on the site

ABAP Basics

SAP ABAP Handbook

In another part of this blog we give an overview on SAP ABAP.

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An introduction to the SAP ABAP (Advanced Business Application Programming) language

Posted on November 9, 2011 by booksonsap

Advanced Business Application Programming (ABAP)

Advanced Business Application Programming (ABAP) is a fourth generation computer programming language that was created by SAP AG in Germany. SAP ABAP has become integral to the operation of the SAP NetWeaver platform. It can be used by programmers to enhance the usability of SAP applications. In fact, even though it was first developed in 1983 it is nowadays used in the writing of the majority of SAP applications and systems.

SAP ABAP Workbench and ABAP Dictionary

Two of the most important components within the SAP ABAP language are the ABAP Dictionary and the ABAP Workbench. The ABAP Dictionary is crucial, as it contains all of the metadata within an SAP system. It works in conjunction with the ABAP Workbench with reference to object types such as tables, views, data types, indexes, and domains. The ABAP Dictionary allows all metadata to be displayed and maintained as required.

The SAP ABAP Workbench is essentially a set of tools used for developing and editing applications. The ABAP Dictionary is considered to be one of these tools. Another tool is the ABAP Editor, which is used in the creation of reports. There is also a Function Builder, and a Screen Painter that is used for designing screens. The additional Menu Painter feature allows the user to design and customize their interface, including toolbars.

ABAP Objects

Within the SAP ABAP Workbench is another tool called ABAP Objects. This tool allows the creation of applications that include program objects. These objects can be more easily controlled using object oriented programming. ABAP Objects is therefore a method of programming that is entirely compatible with the original ABAP language. The tool includes a virtual machine for running applications that have been created in the ABAP Objects language. ABAP Objects is one of the more recent developments by SAP, and is indicative of their general preference for object orientation.

ABAP Books

When they were developing ABAP SAP made it straightforward for programmers to understand and use. However, on first appearances it seems to be extremely complicated for people who lack the relevant programming skills. It is for this reason that there a wide range of SAP ABAP books available for SAP users to buy. These books will typically contain SAP ABAP tutorial chapters that explain exactly how the software works, and how it can be utilized for specific tasks. These ABAP books can prove to be a very useful learning resource for anybody who has an interest in this programming language.

In other posts of this blog we have reviewed what in our opinion are the best SAP ABAP books:

ABAP Basics

SAP ABAP Handbook

Next Generation ABAP Development

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